She said there was an amazing capability to trace information and even if it was deleted it would always exist somewhere in cyber space.

“I always encourage people to think carefully about what they put on any public space because it’s there forever,’’ Ms Dietrich.

“Even if you delete it it’s in someone’s archive forever, digital data doesn’t go away and you don’t know how many copies of it have been made.”

It remains unclear whether Australian insurers do currently examine customers’ social media sites.
But the Financial Services Council’s chief executive officer John Brogden said he expected it to become more commonplace in Australia in the near future.

“If people are online and making statements that are at odds with their insurance application or claim then insurance companies have every right to use that information,’’ he said.

“I think there’s every chance (collecting data from social media sites) will become more prominent and they (insurers) use it in anti-fraud cases.

“So people should be careful.”

He said fraudulent claims were not uncommon.

Bravura Solutions’ managing director Roland Slee said customers should be well aware businesses were using a person’s online presence to determine how they deal with them.

“People are prepared to be far more open than was ever anticipated and to make information available about their ambitions and desires,’’ he said.

“There’s a very power social trend and individuals are better informed than they ever were before.”